Women's College World Series: Baylor rally stuns Kentucky, 8-7

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By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Journal Star

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Posted Jun. 1, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Posted Jun. 1, 2014 at 12:01 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kaitlyn Thumann doubled and scored on an error in the bottom of the eighth inning as Baylor rallied from a seven-run deficit to stun Kentucky 8-7 on Saturday night in an elimination game in the Women’s College World Series.

Baylor (49-15) advanced to play fifth-seeded Florida on Sunday. The 13th-seeded Bears would have to beat Florida (52-12) twice to advance to the best-of-3 finals.

Kentucky (50-19) led 7-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth, but Kelsey Nunley (30-11) gave up six singles during a three-run rally for Baylor. Ari Hawkins led off the seventh with a solo home run to make it 7-4 and Robin Landreth’s two-run, two-out double tied it.

In the eighth, after Landreth doubled, Hawkins bunted and Kentucky catcher Griffin Joiner threw the ball into right field, allowing Thumann to score.

Oregon 4, Oklahoma 2

The top-seeded Ducks (56-8) scored three times in the third inning and added an insurance run in the seventh to knock off the Sooners (51-13).

Jainee Takeda doubled home Nikki Udria for Oregon’s first run, and Kailee Cuico doubled later in the inning to plate Takeda and Alyssa Gillespie.

Oregon faces Alabama (52-11) after the Florida-Baylor contest on Sunday. The Ducks must beat the Tide twice to stay alive.

Florida State’s national player of the year, pitcher Lacey Waldrop, struggled for a second straight game. After giving up 10 hits in a 3-0 loss to Oregon, Waldrop (38-7) surrendered six hits to the Bears in four innings.